Book Review: The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter

The Good Daughter is a gripping tale of brutality, violence and terror. It is also an exploration of family dysfunction and dynamics.

Set in Pikeville, Georgia – small town America – Rusty Quinn is the local public defender, universally hated for his work with the criminal elements of the community. Rusty is one of those lawyers with a strong sense of justice – he truly believes in the American justice system and in the right to a fair trial.

The book begins in 1989 when Rusty’s teenage daughters, Sam and Charlie, have their life ripped apart by a home invasion which leaves their mother, Gamma, dead. Charlie and Sam both survive the event but remain scarred by their experiences, with Sam cutting almost all ties with her family and settling in New York.

Skipping forward twenty-eight years, Charlie is witness to a school shooting. A principle and an 8 year old child lay dead. To the outrage of the local community, Rusty takes on the case of defending the shooter. When events take an unexpected turn, Sam finds herself reluctantly returning to her home town, and to her estranged family, to provide some assistance with the case.

The Good Daughter is well-written and has a goo paced to it, with a good solid plot and a confident writing style. The author has obviously put much thought into the development of the story and to the different threads running through the book, resulting in a great flow to the tale. The book itself is quite lengthy. However, it you asked me how to cut the tale down I really wouldn’t know where to begin. Every paragraph is relevant to the story. 

The characterisation in this novel is also very well thought-out – from hard-drinking and hard-smoking humorous Rusty to the bickering daughters, Sam and Charlie. Whilst none of the characters are hugely likable, they are all interesting and credible. The book delves into the family’s damaged relationship and it is fascinating to see the dynamics that exist between the three characters. It is interesting to see how their personalities were shaped by those tragic events in 1989. It is the family aspect of the story which also adds some well-placed flashes of humour to the tale.

The Good Daughter is packed full of twists and turns – it is both a gripping legal thriller and an insightful exploration of family dynamics. A dark, bold and violent thriller which will captivate the reader’s attention –  I can certainly see why The Good Daughter became such an instant bestseller.